Letter-opener.



A. MANGINI.

LETTER.OPENER.

APPLICATION man MAY 13. 191s.

1?8925398; Patented Apr. 29,1919.

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A. MANGNI.

I 1 LETTER OPENER.

APPucATmN FILED mAY1a.191s.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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.ANDREW MANGINI, OF WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BERT V. BARBER.

LETTEB- OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Api'. 29, 11919?.

Application led May 13, 1918 Serial No. 234,242.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ANDREW MANGINI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Varren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter- Openers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive, yet a highly eiiicient and in every way desirable device for opening letters, merely by inserting them into a slot and operating a handle.

With the foregoing object in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the letter opener looking toward the front thereof;

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking toward the rear;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation partly in section;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections on the planes of the lines 4 4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the pla-ne indicated by the lines 6-6 of Figs. 3 and 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View showing the two cutting blades and the roller upon which one thereof is mounted.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates a suitable elongated casing whose front side is provided with a horizontal portion 2 and a vertical portion 3 rising therefrom, a longitudinal slot 4 being formed at the angle between the two, through which to insert the envelop to be opened. A fiat horizontal blade 5 contacts slidably with the lower face of the horizontal portion 2 and is supported by a plate or the like 6 secured in the casing, coiled springs 7 being provided for moving the blade 5 inwardly to engage its inner edge with a helically directed knife or blade 8 which is secured to the periphery of a longitudinal roller 9 mounted in the casing 1, said blade 8 being adapted to sweep over the inner edge of the blade 5 from one end thereof to the other, whereby to trim the edge of the envelop sufficiently to permit opening thereof, as will be clear from Fig. 4. A removable pan or the like 10 may well be provided to receive the trimmings, permitting dumping thereof wherever necessary.

On one end of roller 9 a pinion 11 is secured, said pinion meshing with the teeth of a vertical rack bar 12 which normally rests on the bottom of the casing 1 as is shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5. A horizontal lever 13 in the casing 1 is pivoted at one end to the rack bar 12 and at 14 said lever is fulcrumed to a vertical bracket plate 15 suitably secured in the casing, said bracket bearing against the back of the rack bar to retain the same in mesh with the pinion, one or more guide pins 16 being provided to hold the rack bar slidably against the adjacent end of the casing, the end of lever 13 remote from the rack bar 12 is extended laterally through a slot 17 in the rear of the casing and is provided with a suitable finger piece 18 whereby it may be depressed.

Each time the finger piece 18 is forced downwardly, it raises the rack bar 12 and so actuates pinion 11 as to rotate the roller 9 sufficiently to cause the blade 8 to sweep from one end of the blade 5 to the other end thereof, thus trimming the envelop inserted through the slot 4 as indicated in Fig. 4. A spring 19 is provided to return t-he several parts to normal position, in readiness to receive another envelop.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that although my invention is of extremely simple and inexpensive nature, it will be highly efficient and in every way desirable. Since probably the best results are obtained from the details shown and described, they are preferable, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made.

I claim:

1. A letter opener comprising a casing having at its front side a horizontal portion and a vertical portion rising therefrom, a slot being formed at the angle between the two for insertion of the envelop, a horizontal blale cont.icting slidably with the'lower side of" said horizontal portion, means supporting said blade in contact with said horizontal portion of the casing, spring means for forcing said blade inwardly, a roller mounted in t-he casing and having a trimming knife coacting with said blade, and means for rotating said roller.

2. A letter opener comprising a roller having at its periphery a helically directed trimming' knife, a relatively fixed knife along whose edge the trimming knife sweeps, means for guiding the envelop against said roller and said relatively fixed knife in the path of the trimming knife, a pinion on one end of said roller, a rack bar Whose teeth mesh with the pinion, a lever for operating said rack har to rotate the roller, and a bracket on which said lever is mounted, said bracket engaging the back of the rack har to hold the saine in mesh With said pinion.

3. In an envelop opener, a horizontally elongated easing having a slot through which to insert the envelop, envelop trimming means including a horizontal roller positioned longitudinally in said easing and having a trimming knife, a pinion on one end of said roller, a vertical rack har mesh ing with said pinion, one side of said rack bar being disposed for sliding on one end of said casing, a vertical bracket plate secured in said casing and disposed for Contact with the back of said rack har to retain the latter in mesh with said pinion, means extending from said bracket plate to retain said rack har in proper relation With said end of the casing, and a lever fulcrumed to said bracket plate for operating said rack bar to rotate said pinion and roller.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ANDREW MANGINI. Witnesses:

K. A. KRANTZ, O. A. SILER.

Copier of! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Talente,

Washington, D. E. 

